“Quito Day 3 Itinerary: Rooftop Views, Artisan Markets & Luxury Bath at Illa Hotel”
🕔 05:00–07:00 | Walking Through Fog in Plaza de San Francisco
Before the sun even rose, I stepped toward Plaza de San Francisco at dawn.
The sound of bells hitting the old stone walls stirred the Andes valley.
A layer of fog lay across the damp ground soaked in morning dew, and the tower of Iglesia de San Francisco appeared.
A few drops of light rain began to fall from the sky, so I opened the umbrella I had brought, gently parting through the fog, quietly walking step by step, savoring the cold morning air.
🕖 07:00–09:00 | A Classic Breakfast at Café Gótica
As I walked out near the square, I saw Café Gótica.
The morning sun was starting to peek out just slightly.
I ordered a warm cup of cinnamon-scented coffee, fruit slices, freshly baked yucca bread, and added scrambled eggs.
Before I knew it, the soft sunlight was gently covering the red bricks outside.
🕘 09:00–11:00 | Quito Contemporary Art Museum Found in Silence
The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Quito, a museum renovated from an old hospital, is designed so that you walk along white corridors.
It felt as if all the stillness in the world was pressed flat against the floor.
Even the word “quiet” seemed insufficient.
I stood for a long time in front of the Ecuadorian artist Óscar Santillán’s work titled Light and Stone, lost in deep thought.
🕚 11:00–13:00 | Handicraft Shopping at Mercado Artesanal
Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal was a place where the colors and scents of each small booth flowed like stories.
From pouches woven in the colors of the Ecuadorian flag, to tea tree soap, embroidered brooches, handkerchiefs, and mate tea, the little alleys and plaza were filled.
There was a wide variety of things to see, from soaps and bath products made with all kinds of herbs, to aromatic blends created from Ecuador's natural medicinal plants.
🕐 13:00–15:00 | The Warmth of Vegetarian Cuisine at El Maple
El Maple, one of the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Quito, had a small bottle with fresh flowers placed on each table.
The food I ordered was neatly served on the table—starting with a carrot soup that seemed to be simmered with rosemary, followed by lentil stew and avocado salad.
Blended with natural herbs and spices, and colorful vegetables more vibrant than a rainbow, it felt like a meal that fed the eyes and the senses alike.
🕒 15:00–17:00 | Librería Española, Filled with the Scent of Old Books
Librería Española Quito was truly filled with the scent of books—old ink and the fragrance of faded pages soaked into the air.
Books by Márquez and Pablo Neruda were lined up along wooden shelves, and the bookstore owner, pressing a brush pen into a worn notebook, was sitting by a small window just in front of a large tree crowded with sparrows and birds, busily writing something with focus.
🕔 17:00–19:00 | Sunset at the Guápulo Viewpoint
At Mirador de Guápulo, I walked down the hill and sat on a bench.
Golden light flowed beneath the sky like a river, and before long, the sunset soaked the hillside.
Children and dogs were running around the slope, playing together.
🕖 19:00–21:00 | A Neatly Prepared Dinner at La Purísima
La Purísima Restaurante had low-hanging lights and ceiling fans turning slowly—it was clearly a warm and inviting restaurant at first glance.
Crispy sweet potato chips, papaya salad, and chicken seasoned with Andean herbs were served one after another on clean white plates, all neatly arranged.
🕘 21:00–23:00 | A Half-Bath at Illa Experience Hotel
I added rosemary-scented bath salts to the private bathtub at Illa Experience Hotel.
As the memories of the day spread with it, I slowly lowered myself into the water.
The flickering candlelight I had lit beside the tub shimmered together with the water.
🕚 23:00–00:00 | Slowly Closing My Eyes, a Farewell
The curtains swayed in the breeze, and I sipped the mint tea I had brewed.
I walked over to the window, took a deep breath of the night air, and whispered to myself that today had been joyful too.
Thank you, Quito.
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